Perirenal fat thickness measured with computed tomography is a reliable estimate of perirenal fat mass.

Guillaume Favre,Charles Raffaelli,Florence François-Chalmin,Caroline Grangeon-Chapon,Vincent Esnault,Antonio Iannelli,Antonio Gonzalez-Bulnes

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175561

Abstract

Deposition of perirenal adipose tissue has been associated with adverse renal and cardiovascular events. We compared various methods to measure perirenal adipose tissue using computerized tomography (CT)-scan and performed correlations with anthropometric measures associated with renal and cardiovascular events. Voluntary overweight and obese subjects undergoing a CT-scan for diagnostic purposes were included in the study. Perirenal adipose tissue volume, adipose tissue area of the renal sinus and perirenal fat thickness were manually measured bilaterally. The intra- and inter-observer coefficient correlations and the correlation between the diverse measures of renal adipose tissue, subcutaneous (SC-)fat and anthropometrics measures were analyzed using Pearson's correlation tests. The forty included patients (24 men, 16 women) had a mean age of 57.6 ± 18.1 years and a mean body mass index of 28.9 ± 2.9 kg/m2. Despite comparable waist circumference, women had a greater SC-fat thickness compared to men, and therefore a smaller amount of visceral fat, as well as smaller perirenal fat volumes. Perirenal fat thickness was better correlated with perirenal fat volume than adipose area of the renal sinus (p <0.02). The adipose area of the renal sinus did not correlate with any anthropometric measures. In women, perirenal fat volume and thickness showed a negative correlation with SC-fat thickness and no correlation with waist circumference. In men, perirenal fat volume and thickness showed a positive correlation with waist circumference and no correlation with subcutaneous fat thickness. In conclusion, perirenal fat thickness measured with CT-scan at the level of the renal veins is a simple and reliable estimate of perirenal fat volume, that correlated negatively with SC-fat in women and positively with waist circumference in men. The adipose area of the renal sinus did not correlate with any anthropometric measure.

Highlights

Perirenal adipose tissue fills the space outlined by the inner and outer boundaries of the kidney and renal fascia
The perirenal adipose tissue volume was positively correlated with adipose area of the renal sinus in the whole population (r = 0.63 and 0.68, respectively, for the right and left side, p
The perirenal fat thickness was better correlated with perirenal fat volume than adipose area of the renal sinus (p

Summary

Introduction

Perirenal adipose tissue fills the space outlined by the inner and outer boundaries of the kidney and renal fascia. This adipose depot involves the renal sinus and the renal hilum. Perirenal adipose tissue is separated from renal parenchyma by a fibrous capsule [1] and its vascularization comes from branches of the abdominal aorta, which supplies blood to the kidney cortex through the plexus of Turner [2], with potential vicious paracrine effects. Renal adipose tissue has been linked to impaired kidney function and blood hypertension, independently from other adipose depots and body-mass index (BMI) [3, 4]. Because the relationship between fat in the renal sinus and the whole mass of perirenal fat is unknown, the purpose of our study is to question the link between perirenal fat volume and fat area of the renal sinus

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion